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| Through the window of the Florian - Photo: Cat Bauer |
(Venice, Italy)
Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco is the oldest coffeehouse in all of Italy. Depending on how you define "coffeehouse," it can also claim to be one of the oldest in all the world. Established on December 29, 1720, for nearly 300 years the Florian has always attracted an international crowd.
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| Through the window of the Florian - Photo: Cat Bauer |
Notable Venetians like
Carlo Goldoni and
Casanova were early patrons -- it was the only cafe that served women. As time went on, artsy notables like
Lord Byron, Goethe, Marcel Proust and
Charles Dickens dropped by, as well as
Richard Wagner and
D'Annunzio.
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| Through the window of the Florian - Photo: Cat Bauer |
Caffè Florian's original name was "Venezia Trionfante," or "Triumphant Venice," and was a place
where history was written. Inside its rooms, plots were hatched to overthrow French and Austrian rule.
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| Through the Window of the Florian - Photo: Cat Bauer |
It was at the Florian that plans to create the
first Venice Art Biennale were dreamed up. In 1893, Riccardo Selvatico, the mayor of Venice, together with a group of artists and intellectuals, decided to hold an illustrious art exhibition in honor of the silver anniversary of King Umberto and Margherita of Savoy.
Beneath the paintings of
The Age of Enlightenment and
Civilization Educating the Nations in the Senate Room, the idea for the
first international art festival in the world was born.
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| Through the Window of the Florian - Photo: Cat Bauer |
These days, during Carnival, all sorts of colorful creatures dress the part and sit down at the tables of the Florian to take their place with the phantoms of history.
With portraits of giants like Titian, Palladio and Marco Polo on the wall,
Caffè Florian brings the glories of Venice's past into Venetian life today. And during Carnival, the veil that separates space and time seems to fade away...
Ciao from Venezia,
Cat
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog
Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco is the oldest coffeehouse in all of Italy. Depending on how you define "coffeehouse," it can also claim to be the oldest one in all the world. Established in 1720, for nearly 300 years the Florian has always attracted an international crowd.
ReplyDeleteOh, these pics are glorious and they give such a great feeling of what it's like to stroll past the Florian and peek in! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteHappy to share, CLC! The Florian photos were so popular on FB and Twitter, I thought I'd write a post about such a magical place... that still exists!
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect post for Carnevale! The Florian is still a destination for me on each visit.
ReplyDeleteHi, Theresa! Next time you come, let's go to the Florian.
ReplyDelete